Railway foot-guard



(No Model.)

M. RILEY. RAILWAY FOOT GUARD.

No. 493,649. Patented Mar. 21, 1893,

m: uomus PETER5 o0. Pnoraumon WASHINGTON, r:v c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL RILEY, OF LONDON, OHIO.

RAILWAY FOOT-G UARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 493,649, dated March 21, 1893.

Application filed May 27, 1892.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MICHAEL RILEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at London, in the county of Madison and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railway Foot-Guards, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the improvementof foot-guards for railway tracks of that class shown in my former application for patent, filed April 9, 1892, Serial No. 428,539.

The objects of my invention are to produce a superior construction of foot-guard particularly adapted for filling the spaces between parallel portions of track rails; to so construct said guard as to admit of the same being adjusted to different angles and for different purposes; to cause the same to retain its connection with the railway tracks by spring pressure and to otherwise produce a neat, simple and reliable form of guard of this class. These objects I accomplish in the mannerillustrated in the accom panying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a railway track switch wherein is employed my improved guard. Fig. 2 is a plan View of a portion of a track and guard rail showing my improved foot-guard therein. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view on linexa: of Fig. 2. Fig. lis an underside view of one of said foot guards and Fig. 5 is a perpective View thereof.

Similar letters referto similar parts throughout the several views.

In forming my improved guard, I produce the same of two oblong sections of suitable plate metal, said sections being indicated at a a and each being angular in cross-section. Of these sections b represents the top portions, 0 the side portion and c inturned lips at the lower ends of said side portions. Each of said sections is also provided with a plate d which I preferably form with the upper side thereof, and bend downward to coverthe end of the section, as indicated. As shown in the drawings, the section a is made of such size as to telescope within the section a.

6 represents transverse slots which are arranged at desired intervals in the top portion b of the section a and which extend to Serial No. 434,552. (No model.)

within a short distance of the sides of said top portion.

f represents bolts or pins which pass through and depend from the top portion of the section a and which pass loosely through the slotted openings 6 of the section a, the guide-bolts thus formed serving to adj ustably connect said sections. In order to provide a normal outward pressure on said sections, I employ at desirable points coiled springs f which extend transversely between the side portions 0 of the guard sections, the ends of said springs being connected with or supported against the inner sides of said guard sections in any suitable manner, but preferably being made to surround rounded projections or bulges f formed in said section sides.

As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, this particular form of guard is especially adapted to fill the space between two parallel track rail portions. In. case my improved guard is utilized for this purpose, the guard body has its sections compressed sufficiently to admit of its insertion endwise between the rails which are indicated at g and g, said guard being of such height as to cause the railtread to slightly over-lap the upperside thereof and admit of the base flanges of the rails which are indicated at g forming a seat for the inturned edges 0' of said guard sections. From this construction and arrangement, it will readily be seen that the springs f will serve to press the guard sections firmlyagainst the Webs of the rails, and that said guards may be so produced as to adjust themselves to spaces of varying widths.

As shown in Fig. l of the drawings, itis evident that I may employ my improved guard or filling blocks between the switch rails 72. and track rails z'. In this case it will be observed that the inner end of the guard will be subjected to a greater compression than the outer end, and that said guard will thus adjust itself to the space to which it is confined. It will readily be reen that aguard of the character described will serve the purpose of blocking the spaces between the track rails and obviate the dangerous results of catching the foot between thetrack rails.

Having HOW fully deso what I claim, and desire Patent, is-

In a foot guard for mi 5 tion of the oblong angular sections a a, adapted to telescope one withi openings 6 in one of said sections, bolts f in the other section passing through said slotted ribed my invention, opening and springs f connecting as dcto secure by Letters scribed, the sides of said sections, snhstan-' to tially as and for the purpose specified.

lways, the combine- MICHAEL RILEY; n the other, slotted In presence of- O. G. SHEPHERD,

THos. S. GATES. 

